Ever seen a flatter foot? This was the beginning of my PTTD surgery journey...

Ever seen a flatter foot?  This was the beginning of my PTTD surgery journey...
Left Foot Pre-Surgery X-ray: Ankle with heel valgus and flatfoot deformity

Monday, June 29, 2015

The Backpacker's Life: Central American Adventure

Guatamala-> Honduras-> Nicaragua-> Costa Rica

Crazy...yes.  Smart...extraordinarily.--->  This trip is probably the wildest thing I have done in my life, but it also was the best thing that I could have done. While living out of a backpack, taking almost exclusively cold showers for weeks, managing with no air conditioning, trying exotic foods, and doing things I never dreamed I could do...I realized that I know exactly who I am.  (Not what you thought I would say, right?)  I didn't "find" myself on this trip, rather I realized that I'm not lost.  I enjoy my home town (relatively small city with a dash of country and southern charm),  I have a great family and supportive friends, I am proud of the career I have built for myself and love my job,  I have the sweetest dogs, I've moved beyond the limitations that my feet have put on me, and most importantly, I'm happy and feel centered and balanced.  It's taken years to get back to this level of peace, and this trip showed me that I've accepted all the ups and downs of my life and no matter what, I am choosing to make the best of it.  

Trip Highlights: 
~Guatemala- Explored markets, streets, and nightlife
~Honduras- Horseback riding up and down a mountain to see Mayan ruins and visit ancient villages; scuba diving, lounging in natural hot springs, 
~Nicaragua- Volcano boarding (hiked up an active volcano and rode down on a wooden sled), looked into an active volcano's crater (close enough to it to cough on the sulfuric gas), made a clay pot with a manual pottery wheel, spent 3 days living with a local family who spoke not a word of English (I had to pull out my Spanish language skills big time!), completed a 6 hr hike of an active volcano
~Costa Rica- climbed a hollow tree, went ziplining (including flying superman style on a line that was 1 mile long!), visited a coffee, chocolate, and sugar cane farm, more hot springs, canyoneered and repelled waterfalls, went white water rafting


Here are some of my favorite photos from the trip:


















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Reflection

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